Need Ebay Merchandise? January is a great time to buy!

We all know that there are some great deals to be found right after each holiday. November 1 is a terrific time to shop for costumes and July 5 is great for patriotic merchandise.

However, if you want to find some real deals I suggest you hit your local thrift store, Goodwill Store or Salvation Army in January. January is historically my best month to find ebay merchandise in the thrift stores. I have a few theories why this is so:

1. People spend time between Christmas and New Year's Day making room for their new stuff. In order to do that, many people donate toys, books, clothes and gadgets by December 31 in order to get the tax benefit for the current year while making room for their new gifts. This leads to lots of new merchandise in the thrift stores that are great for immediate resale .
2. When the tree and holiday decorations come down, people think twice about repacking the things they don't love. Or they received yet another Christmas platter or ornament that they don't like. These things end up at your local thrift store and they will be cheap to buy in January! If you have the space at home and the funds available I suggest buying Christmas items in January and holding on to them for the next holiday season (more on when exactly you should list holiday items for sale to come in another post).
3. Let's face it...those of us in the colder climates spend much more time indoors at this time of year and now that the holiday festivities are over it is time to tackle cleaning out a closet or two. With any luck, that stuff ends up at the thrift store too!

So, whether you're looking for a great set of china, a rare vintage book, a designer sweater or a fancy Christmas ornament, January is the time go hunting in your favorite thrift stores for ebay merchandise.